Is it just me, or does * lie so often that we're just getting used to it?

[dave123williams]

Case in point:

" Q Do you feel that the number of troops that you've kept there is limiting your options elsewhere in the world? Just today you had the head of the Defense Intelligence Agency say that he was now concerned that the North Koreans, for example, could put a weapon, a nuclear weapon on a missile that could reach Japan or beyond. Do you feel, as you are confronting these problems, the number of troops you've left tied up in Iraq is limiting your options to go beyond the diplomatic solutions that you described for North Korea and Iran?

THE PRESIDENT: No, I appreciate that question. The person to ask that to, the person I ask that to, at least, is to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, my top military advisor. I say, do you feel that we've limited our capacity to deal with other problems because of our troop levels in Iraq? And the answer is, no, he doesn't feel we're limited. He feels like we've got plenty of capacity."

Compare that to the classified military assesment given to Congress yesterday, as outlined in the LATimes this morning:

"WASHINGTON — Strains imposed by the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have made it far more difficult for the U.S. military to beat back any future act of aggression, launch a preemptive strike or intervene to prevent conflict in another part of the world, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff said in a classified analysis sent to Congress on Monday."

More here:

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-strategy3may03,0,6915005.story?coll=la-home-headlines


So, which is it? Are we stretched too thin, or not, Mr. President?

I figure one of two things is possible; * doesn't know we're stretched too thin (scary), or he knows and willingly lies about it (scarier).

[autorank]

1. Only told the truth once: "It would a lot easier...if I were a dictator."

[Nite Owl]

2. The big news would be

'* thought to tell the truth.'

Whatever he says you just have to figure there is a lie in there somewhere.

[lancdem]

3. It's not just you

[jobycom]

4. Someone should have followed up by asking Bush to name

the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staffs.

When I get into it with Republicans these days, and they ask me to point out a single lie Bush has told, I spin it. I ask them to tell me a single thing he's told the truth about, then when they suggest something, I prove to them how it's a lie.

Makes me unpopular at a lot of parties, but hey, my kids still love me.

[Inland]

5. Neither supporters nor detractors expect any better.

Detractors know he is lying to further a political agenda, and so do supporters. Whether you approve of lying depends on how much you support.